February 25, 2024

BELLEVUE, Neb. – Fourth-seeded Dakota State (S.D.) and top-seeded Bellevue (Neb.) battled in a closely-tight North Star Athletic Association Men's Basketball Postseason Tournament's semifinal Sunday afternoon at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.  The game featured seventeen lead changes, eight ties, and a lead on greater by six points in the forty minutes.  The Bruins closed the game with a 12-4 run in the final 3:11 to pull away past the Trojans by the score of 70-66.

Dakota State ended their season with an overall record of 17-13, the most wins and first winning season since the 2015-16 season (19 victories).  The Trojans' 17 victories are tied for seventh most in a single season with four other squads in 2014-15, 1989-90, 1965-66, and 1963-64.  In addition, it was the most victories for a first-year head coach in program history (Darren Tighe) since the 1963-64 season (legendary Ed Harter in the former General Beadle State). 

Bellevue (14-15 overall record), the conference regular-season champion, will host No. 6 seed Dickinson State (N.D.) in the NSAA Men's Basketball Postseason Tournament's championship game next Sunday, March 3, at 1 p.m. 

The Blue Hawks defeated No. 2 seed Mayville State (N.D.) 71-59 in the other NSAA semifinals (the Ble Hawks earned their third straight road victory (including the regular-season finale contest at DSU Fieldhouse and a 77-67 quarterfinal victory at Waldorf, Iowa, on Feb. 21).

Bellevue (Neb.) 70, Dakota State (S.D.) 66 – FINAL

Dakota State earned the first lead of the game at 3-0 after a 3-pointer from Brayden Pankonen (assisted by Japjit Gill) with 19:07 on the clock.
The Bruins answered with an 8-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Caleb Chiang for an 8-3 lead with 16:44 to go in the first half.

Trailing 10-7, the Trojans went on a 7-0 scoring run ignited by a layup by Kenny Haynes followed by a three-point play by Uhana Ochan.  Emmanuel Akpan capped the scoring run with a layup to give DSU a 14-10 lead.

Both teams tied or traded leads for the rest of the first half.  Uzo Dibiamaka made a layup as Dakota State tied the game at 33-33.

The Trojans shot 14-of-28 from the field in the first twenty minutes (50 percent) compared to the Bruins 45.5 percent (10-of-22 field goals).  Bellevue hit 10-of-11 free-throws in the first half, while the Trojans were 2-of-4 from the free-throw line.

BU kicked off the second half with a 5-0 scoring run, starting with a 3-pointer from Jerome Bynum followed by a layup by Emarr Vinson for a 38-33 lead with 18:44 remaining.

Bynum drained a 3-pointer to give Bellevue the biggest lead of the game at 41-35 with 14:06 to go in the game.

Dakota State answered with a 7-0 scoring run to regain their lead at 42-41 after a steal by Pankonen followed by a fast-break layup by Gill with 12:44 left.

DSU and BU traded leads or tied the game throughout the middle of the second half.  Tied at 48-48 with 10:14 left, Bellevue went on a 6-0 scoring run for three-plus minutes to earn the biggest lead of the game for the second time at 54-48 after a free-throw by Nigel Wilson.

The Trojans snapped their scoring drought after Gill's basket followed by 3-point play by Akpan to cut the Bruins' lead to 54-53 with 6:13 remaining.

Down 58-55, Dakota State went on a 7-0 scoring run, sparked by Akpan's dunk and five straight points from Dibiamaka.  A 3-pointer by Dibiamaka gave the Trojans a 60-58 lead.  He then stole the ball and made a fastbreak layup to extend DSU's lead to 62-58, forcing the Bruins to call a timeout with 3:27 left.

Akpan hit a pair of free-throws to give Dakota State a 64-61 lead with 2:46 to go in the game.

Bellevue held Dakota State scoreless in the next two-plus minutes, fueling a 7-0 scoring run after a free throw by Bynum for BU's 68-64 lead. Liam Thompson hit a layup to start the Bruins' scoring run, followed by Vinson's layup (65-64 BU lead) and a pair of free-throws by Vinson (BU led 67-64 with less than 50 seconds to go).

Akpan made a dunk as the Trojans trimmed Bellevue's lead to 68-66, calling a timeout with less than 15 seconds to go.
 
DSU committed a foul on the next play, sending BU's Christian Carter to the free-throw line.  He converted both free-throws to secure the victory.

Bellevue outscored Dakota State 37-33 in the second half.  The Trojans shot 14-of-29 from the field (48.3 percent) and hit 3-of-5 free-throws.  The Bruins were 10-of-17 field goals (58.8 percent) and made 13-of-18 from the free-throw line in the second half.

Ochan led the Trojans with 13 points and six rebounds.  He was 6-of-12 from the field.  Gill and Akpan each added 11 points.  Gill contributed three assists.  Dibiamaka tallied nine points and two assists.  Mison Coilton scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds off the bench.  He stole the ball three times.

Haynes scored seven points for DSU.  Jose Lewis had four points.  Ochan, Akpan, Haynes, and Calvin Payne each registered a block. 

Vinson paced the Bruins with 17 points on his 7-of-9 field goals.  He also had three assists.  Bynum added 15 points and four rebounds. 

Makeem Loudermill tallied 10 points (8-of-8 free-throws) and five rebounds off the bench.  Wilson had eight points and four rebounds.  He had three blocks. 

Dakota State shot 28-of-57 overall from the field (49.1 percent) compared to Bellevue 20-of-39 field goals (51.3 percent).  The Trojans hit 5-of-17 3-pointers (29.4 percent), while the Bruins were 7-of-14 3-pointers (50 percent).

Bellevue went to the free-throw line 29 times, making 23 free-throws.  Dakota State was 5-of-9 free-throws.

The Bruins outrebounded the Trojans 32-22 in the game.  DSU, however, outscored BU 9-5 in second chance points. 

Dakota State outscored Bellevue 19-15 in points off turnovers and 44-24 inside the paint.

It was the final collegiate men's basketball game for four Trojan seniors – Gill, Dibiamka, Ochan, and Taylor Edwards.

For the records

Here is the list of school records that were set during the 2023-24 season:

• Tied for 4^th most single-game rebounds:  Emmanuel Akpan – 19 rebounds vs. Harris-Stowe (Mo.) – Nov. 17, 2023
• Tied for 7^th most 3-point field goals made in a single game:  Brayden Pankonen – 7 3-point field goals made vs. College of the Ozarks (Mo.) – Nov. 9, 2023
• 6^th best 3-point field goals percentage in a single game:  Brayden Pankonen – 7-of-9 3-pointers (77.8 percent) vs. College of the Ozarks (Mo.) – Nov. 9, 2023
• 9^th in team single season field goals attempts:  1,877 field goals attempts
• 6^th in team single season 3-point field goals made:  244 3-point field goals made
• 5^th in team single season 3-point field goal attempts:  711 3-point field goal attempts
• 6^th in team single season rebounding average:  37.3 rebounds per game
• Tied for 8^th most rebounds in a single game:  57 vs. Trinity Bible (N.D.) – Nov. 28, 2023
• 6^th in team single season steals:  243 steals
• Tied for 7^th most wins in a single season: 17 wins
• Tied for 1^st longest consecutive wins:  9 straight wins